Cooling box and cover therefor



Nov. 28, 1950 -r 2,531,729

COOLING BOX AND COVER THEREFOR Filed Nov. 5, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jig. 1.

Edw/n H Gaff Hm Gtforneg Nov. 28, 1950 E. H. GOTT 2,531,729

COOLING BOX AND COVER THEREFOR Filed Nov. 5, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 jig. J.

Bnnemtor Edw/n Gait H1 Gttorneg Nam 28, 1950 o 2,531,729

COOLING BOX AND COVER THEREFOR Filed Nov. 5, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 fig. 4

Edw/k? H. 60ft Hm (Ittomeg Patented Nov. 28, 1950 COOLING BOX AND COVER THEREFOR Edwin H. Gott, Gary, Ind., assignor to Carnegie- Illinois Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 5, 1946, Serial No. 707,960

Claims.

This invention relates to an improved cooling box and to a flexible cover which displays particular advantages therewith.

The invention has among its objects the provision of an improved cooling box for contain ing articles such as objects made of ferrous metal during slow cooling thereof, and in particular, a box provided with an improved cover cooperating therewith so as to fit snugly on the edges of the box walls.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a flexible cover for cooling boxes of such construction as to withstand rough handling and to resist Warping over long periods of servme.

These and further objects of the invention willv be made more fully apparent in the following description.

Boxes and flexible covers therefor made in accordance with the present invention are usefur in the slow cooling of various articles such as objects made of ferrous metal. A typical use of such box and cover is to contain steel wheel blanks as rolled in a bloomin mill. Such blanks are slowly cooled for forty-eight hours before a further heating step followed by rolling of the finished product at the wheel plant. Boxes for this purpose have heretofore been provided with heavy rigid covers designed to rest thereon. Considerable difficulty has been experienced with that type of cover, however, in that it has become Warped after a short period of service, thus failing thereafter to form an effective closure for the box. Further difiiculty with such cover lies in the fact that if the box should be filled with articles to be cooled to a level above the upper edges of the box, even at one point, the cover is prevented from contacting the edges over a considerable portion of their total length, thus defeating the purpose of the cover in that it allows the articles to cool too rapidly.

The box cover of my invention is so designed that it is substantially rigid in one direction but possesses substantial flexibility in the other so that if the box should be filled above the level of its upper edges the cover can still cooperate therewith, thus forming an effective seal, except perhaps at one or two zones of relatively small length along its edges. Such cover has been found to function most satisfactorily and to form the most effective seal with the box when two upper opposed edges of the box are made in convex arcuate form and project above the other opposite edges, which are straight and which lie in a plane containing the ends of. the:

arcuate edges, the cover being of such dimensions that it may be placed upon the box with the dimension along which it is rigid transverse to and lying upon the arcuate edges.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of my improved cooling box and cover.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, of a cooling box equipped with a cover made in accordance with the invention, the box being mounted upon a railway car;

Figure 2 is :a view in end elevation of such car and cooling box, a portion of the end of the car being broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in end elevation of the top portion of the cooling box with the cover in position thereon;

Figure 4 is a view in plan of the cover as positioned on the box;

Figure 5 is a view in section through a cover guiding bar on the box, taken along the line V-V in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a partial end elevation of the cover to enlarged scale showing details of the members composing it.

The cooling box of the present invention is designated generally by the reference character 2. In Figures 1 and 2 such box is shown as mounted on a gondola railway car 4, a portion of which is shown. Ordinarily, two such cooling boxes are mounted in a car. Box 2 is provided with the flexible cover generally designated 6. The cover, as more clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, rests upon the arcuate upper edges 3 of two opposed ends of the box. The portions 8 may be made in the form of separate segmental plates superposed on rectangular end plates and welded to the straight upper edges thereof. Alternatively, the ends of the box may be made integral.

Preferably the upper edges of portions 8 are circular arcs. the centers of which lie on the vertical center lines of the corresponding box ends, so as to present a symmetrical construction. In the construction of the box shown, the segmental plates 8 are secured to the box by means of the knee braces l0, l2, and M welded thereto and to angles extending across the box ends. Each box end is further provided with a pair of centrally located spaced brace members l6 which support a guide post 34 for the cover, in a manner subsequently to be described The cover 6 in its preferred embodiment is made up of a series of interlocked sheet piling members so positioned as to be alternately concave and convex upwardly. The piling members which are concave upwardly are designated l8 and those which are convex are denoted 28. As shown in Figure 3, the piling members are provided at both longitudinal edges with conventional interlocking grooves, one wall 24 of which has a plain edge and the other wall 22, a beaded edge. The interlocking engagement of the piling members prevents their separation but allows substantial flexibility or angular movement in a plane transverse to the length of the members, on the order of ten degrees, between adjacent members. The members of the cover 6 are assembled in the manner customary in the assembling of sheet piling, that is, by aligning the beaded edge of the groove of one with the center of the groove of the next and sliding the members longitudinally relative to each other. Disassembly of the cover during use is prevented by locking plates 3! which are attached as by welding to the ends of alternate piling members but left free from the other member of the adjacent pair at any one joint. In order to cause the cover to effect a substantial seal with the arcuate edges of plates 8, the sections 26, which are convex upwardly, are provided on their under sides with filler blocks 28 which are located near the ends of the members in parallel planes spaced about the same distance as plates 8. The filler blocks may be attached by being welded to the members or, if desired, by being bolted or riveted thereto. In order to render the members substantially rigid in a longitudinal direction, the upper surface of each sheet piling member is provided with a reinforcing member extending longitudinally thereof and attached thereto at substantially the transverse center of each member. Such reinforcements 2c may conveniently be formed, as shown, from two opposed abutting members of L section. In use, the cover is positioned on the box and is removed therefrom by means of a crane equipped with a chain and hooks which are inserted into lifting hooks 32, of which four are shown symmetrically positioned adjacent the corners.

In order to insur the placing of the cover on the box in such relationship that it effectively closes the open top thereof, there are provided cooperating guide means on the box and the cover. In the embodiment shown, the guide means takes the form of the posts 35, one of which is positioned centrally of each arcuate plate 8. Each post is mounted etween braces It by means of a bolt cxte through the opposite braces and through a longitudinal slot 35 adjacent the bottom of the post. A removable keeper pin 32, loosely fastened to plate 8 by chain 44, extends through holes in plates it, so located that the post 34 is rigidly held in an upright position when pin 52 is in place. The vertical position of the guide post is further maintained by means of a heel stop id positioned between plates l6, forming a pocket into which the lower end of post extends when the bar is in vertical position.

The guide posts are maintained in a vertical position when the cover is being placed on the box and outer two central recesses 35 in the cover 36 through which the posts project when the cover is in place. When the cover is to be removed, the posts may be swung into a horizontal position so that care need not be taken in the lifting of the cover to raise it vertically. The swinging of the posts is eifected by removing pins 42 and lifting them to remove their lower ends from the pockets formed by heel stops 40, after which they may be turned to a horizontal position. In the case of the post shown in Figure 5, such turning movement will take place in a counter-clockwise direction about bolt 33 as an axis.

Having thus fully described preferred embodiments of the improved cooling box and flexible cover of my invention, I desire to claim as new the following:

i. A cooling box of substantially rectangular horizontal section having one set of similar opposite upwardly convex arcuate upper edges, the other set of opposite edges lying substantially in a plane through the ends of the arcuate edges, a removable flexible cover for the box adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the box, said cover comprising a series of parallel elongated members each hingedly connected to its neighbor or neighbors so as to allow a limited amount of angular movement therebetween in a plane transverse to the length of the elongated members, the cover thus closing the box when the cover is positioned thereon with the elongated members lying and transverse to the arcuate edges. I

2. A cooling box of substantially rectangular horizontal section having one set of similar opposite upwardly convex substantially circular arcuate upper edges, the other set of opposite edges lying substantially in a plane through the ends of the arcuate edges, a removable flexible cover for the box adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the box, said cover comprising a series of parallel elongated members each hingedly connected to its neighbor or neighbors so as to allow a limited amount of angular movement therebetween in a plane transverse to the length of the elongated members, the cover thus closing the cox when the cover is positioned thereon with the elongated members lying upon and transverse to the arcuate edges.

A cooling box of substantially rectangular horizontal section having one set of similar 0pposite upwardly convex substantially circular arcuate upper edges, each of the circular arcs of such edges having a center lying substantially on the vertical center line of the end of the box on which such edge is located, the other set of opposite edges lying substantially in a plane through the ends of the arcuate edges, a removable flexible cover for the box adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the box, said cover comprising a series of parallel elongated members each hingedly connected to its neighbor or neighbors so as to allow a limited amount of angular movement therebetween in a plane transverse to the length of the elongated members, the cover thus closing the box when the cover is positioned thereon with the elongated members" lying upon and transverse to the arcuate edges.

4. A cooling box of substantially rectangular horizontal section having one set of similar opposite upwardly convex arcuate upper edges, the other set of opposite edges lying substantially in a plane through the ends of the arcuate edges, a removable flexible cover for the box adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the box, said cover comprising a series of parallel substantially imperforate elongated members each articulated to its neighbor or neighbors, th articulated joint between members being so constructed and arranged as to allow a limited amount of angular movement therebetween in a plane transverse to the length of the elongated members, the elon-' gated members being of a length at least slightly exceeding the distance between the arcuate edges of the box, the cover thus closing the box when the cover is positioned thereon with the elongated members lying upon and transverse to the arcuate edges.

5. A cooling box of substantially rectangular horizontal section having one set of similar opposite upwardly convex arcuate upper edges, the other set of opposite edges lying substantially in a plane through the ends of the arcuate edges, a removable flexible cover for the box adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the box, said cover comprising a series of parallel elongated sheet piling members each interlocked with its neighbor or neighbors, the interlocking joint between members being so constructed and arranged as to allow a limited amount of angular movement therebetween in a plane transverse to the length of the sheet piling members, means to prevent substantial longitudinal movement between adjacent sheet piling members, the sheet piling members being of a length at least slightly exceeding the distance between the arcuate edges of the box, the cover thus closing the box when the cover is positioned thereon with the elongated members lying upon and transverse to the arcuate edges.

6. A cooling box of substantially rectangular horizontal section havin one set of similar opposite upwardly convex arcuate upper edges, the other set of opposite edges lying substantially in a plane through the ends of the arcuate edges, a removable flexible cover for the box adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the box, said cover comprising a series of parallel elongated sheet piling members each interlocked with its neighbor or neighbors, alternate members being upward- 1y convex, the members intermediate thereof being upwardly concave, the interlocking joint between members being so constructed and arranged as to allow a limited amount of angular movement therebetween in a plane transverse to the length of the sheet piling members, means to prevent substantial longitudinal movement between adjacent sheet piling members, the sheet piling members being of a length at least slightly exceeding the distance between the arcuate edges of the box, the cover thus closing the box when the cover is positioned thereon with the elongated members lying upon and transverse to the arcuate edges, and filler blocks secured to the under surfaces of the upwardly convex piling members in parallel planes transverse to the length thereof spaced a distance substantially equal to the distance between the arcuate edges of the box so that the cover substantially seals the box when positioned thereon with the sheet piling members lying upon and transverse to the arcuate edges.

7. A removable flexible cover for a cooling box, said cover being adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the box, said cover comprising a series of substantially imperforate elongated members each articulated to its neighbor or neighbors, the articulated joint between members being so constructed and arranged as to allow a limited amount of angular movement therebetween in a plane transverse to the length of the elongated members, the elongated members being of a length at least slightly exceeding the distance between the arcuate edges of the box, the cover thus closing the box when the cover is positioned thereon with the elongated members lying upon and transverse to the arcuate edges.

8. A removable flexible cover for a cooling box, said cover being adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the box, said cover comprising a series of parallel elongated sheet piling members each interlocked with its neighbor or neighbors, the interlocking joint between members being so constructed and arranged as to allow a limited amount of angular movement therebetwe en in a plane transverse to the length of the sheet piling members, means to prevent substantial longitudinal movement between adjacent sheet piling members, the sheet piling members being of a length at least slightly exceeding the distance between the arcuate edges of the box, the cover thus closing the box when the cover is positioned thereon with the elongated members lying upon and transverse to the arcuate edges.

9. In a box having a removable cover, guide posts projecting upwardly from the box to position the cover as it is lowered onto the box, a pivot bearing on the box for each post and manuall disengageable keeper meansjor each post normally holding it upright.

10. The apparatus defined by claim 9, characterized by a heel stop adjacent each bearing, each post having a slot for receiving its bearing pivot whereby the posts may be lifted to clear the stops before tilting.

EDWIN H. GOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 238,883 Friedman Mar. 15, 1881 1,602,226 Gully Oct. 5, 1926 1,611,909 Hassel Dec. 28, 19 6 1,624,836 Hickie Apr. 12, 1927 2,034,183 Harris Mar. 17, 1936 2,095,565 Lightle Oct. 12, 1937 2,107,997 Horsley Feb. 8, 1938 2,157,231 Deahl May 9, 1939 2,180,504 Bradfield et al. Nov. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 66,281 Germany Apr. 9, 1892 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,531,? 29 November 28, 1950 EDWIN H. GOTT It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 3, line 69, for the word outer read enter;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected same may conform to the record of the-case 1n the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of February, A. D. 1951.

specification of the THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

above, so that the 

